Prairie View-Baylor Preview

Baylor coach Scott Drew said his team might need some time to jell with LaceDarius Dunn having returned to the lineup.

Judging from his first game back, it may not take long.

Dunn and the No. 11 Bears look to knock off Prairie View A&M for the 11th time in as many meetings Monday night at the Ferrell Center.

Dunn scored 24 points as Baylor (4-0) defeated Lipscomb 72-60 last Monday, with the senior guard going 7 for 11 from 3-point range with five rebounds and four assists. The game was his first since being suspended for the opening three games after a domestic dispute involving his girlfriend in September.

"I was still very concerned with this game because we haven't had a lot of chances with (Dunn)," Drew said. "I know we're going to get a lot more cohesive, but you can see how just having him on the floor benefited everybody."

Dunn averaged 19.6 points and 4.8 rebounds last season when Baylor won a school-record 28 games and reached the regional finals of the NCAA tournament.

Dunn, who showed some rust with six turnovers, heard plenty of cheers from the home fans.

"It meant a lot," Dunn said. "The suit felt good, but the jersey felt a whole lot better, just being able to get back out there with the guys."

Dunn's return should take some of the pressure off his teammates to score. Quincy Acy, though, didn't seem bothered by the added responsibility, as the forward had 18 points and 14 rebounds Monday and is averaging 17.8 points and 12.6 boards.

Fred Ellis, who started while Dunn was out, had nine points and five rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench.

That depth figures to be important when Baylor leaves Waco after opening the season with a seven-game homestand. The Bears face Gonzaga in Dallas on Dec. 18 and 17th-ranked San Diego State in Honolulu on Dec. 22.

Their next opponent doesn't figure to provide much of a challenge.

Prairie View A&M (1-6) has lost four straight and hasn't defeated a Division I opponent this season, its only win coming against Arlington Baptist College on Nov. 16.

The Panthers came close to getting their second victory Wednesday but fell 69-63 to Western Illinois in the Cancun Challenge. Despite shooting 34.9 percent, they pulled within four with nine seconds remaining before losing.

The Panthers, shooting 36.9 percent, are led by senior Trant Simpson, who is averaging 13.9 points.

Baylor has won the last four matchups by an average of 34.5 points. In the most recent meeting, Dunn scored a team-high 18 in a 90-63 victory Dec. 13, 2008.